This invention relates generally to monitoring and injection systems and more particularly to an injection system which has the capability to monitor the blood pressure of a patient.
Blood pressure monitoring systems are available to monitor the blood pressure of a patient. These systems typically monitor the systolic, diastolic, and/or mean blood pressure of a patient. Such systems typically use a transducer which is connected to the vascular system of the patient so that the transducer is exposed to the patient's blood pressure. The output of the transducer is typically connected to a detection circuit for detecting the systolic, diastolic, and/or mean blood pressure of the patient and is appropriately connected to a display for displaying one or more of these pressures. These systems also require a fluid drip system to keep the line connecting the transducer to the vascular system of the patient open.
Similarly, injection systems are available for injecting a treatment fluid into the patient over a prolonged period of time. Typically, such injections are made intravenously into the patient's vascular system.
It is also frequently desirable to monitor the patient's blood pressure while such injections are being made into the patient's vascular system. Heretofore, it was necessary to connect the injection system at one point in the patient's vascular system so that the fluid could be injected and to connect the blood pressure monitoring system at another position in the patient's vascular system so that the blood pressure monitoring system was isolated from the injection system.
Further, prior art blood pressure monitoring systems which make direct blood pressure measurements through the use of arterial catheters have normally required a hospital setting. This is because the equipment used in such prior art monitoring systems is confining and does not allow the patient to be fully ambulatory.